1. Rural Land Use Patterns

2. Village Forms
Nucleated Settlement – a settlement where buildings are clustered around a particular point. (Commonly found in MDC’s; particularly in the USA)
Dispersed Settlement – where buildings in a settlement are not clustered around a particular point but are scattered in a random fashion (Commonly found in LDC’s; also found in rural areas all over the world)

4. Village forms
Linear: settlement which follows the line of, for example, a road or river
Clustered: Japan – need to allocate every available foot of land for farming
Round: Africa – central cattle corral
Grid: US – township-and-range system
Walled: for protection from attack

5. Patterns of Settlements
Size and structure of rural regions depend on space, environment, social norms and laws
Primogeniture – land passed down to first born; larger plots of land (Northern Europe, Americas, S. Africa, Aus. & N.Z.)
Land divided among heirs – smaller (S. Europe, Asia, Africa)
Township-and-Range system – U.S.; Northwest Ordinance (1787) – rectangular survey system (dispersed settlers more evenly)